Road Test: Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI ACT Highline

Price as tested: €33,642

+ Solidity, comfort, technology, refinement, styling, desirable
– Not as economical as a diesel, not sporty to drive
= Golf cements its position as the best family hatch around

News: Sheehy Motors wins VW service award

Sheehy Motors Carlow has been officially presented with the 2012 Volkswagen Service Quality award. This is a prestigious award that has an entry list of 6,300 Volkswagen Retail business partners from 27 countries. Whilst PJ O’Neill, Service Manager at Sheehy Motors attended the 2012 Gala Awards Event in Dresden, Germany in September 2012, January 14th saw the official handing over the actual award and certificate to the staff at Sheehy Motors, Carlow.

Alan Bateson, Volkswagen Head of Aftersales commented, “The name of Volkswagen must not only be synonymous with outstanding vehicles, but also with top all-round service. Shawn, PJ and the team at Sheehy Motors Carlow work tirelessly to ensure all Customers are completely satisfied each and every time they visit their business. This is further displayed by their standing in the 2013 Volkswagen Service Quality Awards Table where they have occupied a top 3 position throughout the qualification period. Final results for the 2013 Awards will be known by March this year.”

Shawn Carson, Dealer Principal at Sheehy Motors Carlow said, “We are very honoured to receive such a prestigious award.Shawn paid tribute to the loyal and dedicated staff who consistently delivers exceptional levels of customer care and satisfaction.

“We would like to thank all our customers both past and present for their loyalty and support over the years. We believe if we continue to provide value for money and excellent customer service the Volkswagen brand will grow even further.”

Road Test: Volkswagen Beetle Sport 2.0 TDI 140

 

Price as tested: €28,695

+ Sexy looks, improved cabin quality and space, comfort, quality, engine

– Cheap rear suspension spoils the dynamic performance, expensive

= Grooviest looking car on the road today, but Golf is still superior

How do you review an icon? How do you pass judgement on something that's already a pillar of history? If you went on a date with Scarlett Johannson (or Brad Pitt, take your pick) would you spend dinner assessing their skin tone, their haircut, the cut of their clothes? Or would you just revel in simply being in their presence?

That's the problem facing this bitten, cynical car critic when it comes time to review the new Volkswagen Beetle. The original Beetle was the first car to break the Ford Model T's record as the best-seller of all time (a mantle since passed to the Toyota Corolla) and made a remarkable journey from being the apple of a cruel dictator's eye, to being the car of choice of the California counter-culture to its final resting place as a revered classic and a beacon of simple, rugged engineering.

Then Volkswagen attempted to have its cake and eat it. Based on a concept car, the second generation Beetle launched (with, shock, front engine and front wheel drive) in the late nineties to acclaim for its cute, cartoony styling but to criticisms for its poor interior packaging and a deeply lacklustre driving experience. Not to mention the fact that it was more expensive than the more practical Golf which replaced its ancestor, but which shared engines and chassis with the new Beetle.

Now, the record has come around again, and there's a third generation Beetle. Again, it's based on the same platform as the Golf (albeit the last-generation, MkVI Golf, not the current car) and again it's trading heavily on its iconic past.

It's very, very hard not to be sucked in by those retro lines. The overly-curved, cartoonish look of the second Beetle is gone, replaced by a car with a flatter, more aggressive roof and square, straight lines to add tension. Frankly, it's brilliant and I was instantly suckered. There are few, if any, other cars on the road right now as good looking as this and it draws a more obvious line between the original Beetle and the Porsche sports cars it inspired.

Inside too, things are better than before. Out goes the silly flower vase and in comes a neat instrument pack and a touch of the Fiat 500's cabin ambience. Obviously retro but still modernly functional. There's much better space in the back and the boot is far more practically sized and shaped than was the case on the last Beetle.

The engine's a belter too. VW's 2.0-litre 140bhp diesel engine has been around for a while, but in the Beetle it proves itself still a youthful performer. Theres's as much punch as you could wish for through the gears, yet it will still return a 50mpg average without too much effort. Stop-start would be nice for traffic duties, but hey, you can't have everything and it's refined enough to make you believe, just for a moment, that it might be petrol.

It's just a pity that the chassis isn't up to the standards of the engine, especially when the new Golf is able to provide such a classy driving environment. The Beetle's not bad, it's just not as good as it could be. The steering (which communicates with you through quite a big wheel) is nicely, even sportily weighted and the Beetle turns into corners with alacrity and precision. The problem comes from the rear suspension. The Beetle is, primarily, designed and built for the US market where price is king, so to keep costs down, VW has stuck with an old-fashioned torsion-bar rear axle. It's mechanically simple, compact (which helps with the boot space) but it cannot provide the sophistication of a more modern multi-link setup. Hit a mid-corner bump when rounding a fast corner and you'll see what I mean. The rear end thumps, kicks and even skips a little a times. It's never actually unstable, but it feels and sounds uncomfortable and discourages you from enjoying the drive.

Which is a shame, as the Beetle is a remarkably charming car. It's not just the styling this time around, as the cabin, engine and, for much of the time, the driving experience are up to snuff. The problem is, as ever, that the Golf is more capable, more spacious, more affordable and better to drive. There is a reason that the original Beetle was replaced by the original Golf and that reason hasn't really altered in the past forty years. Yes, it is a bit like taking Scarlett Johannson out and asking if there are any more at home like her, but that's the simple truth.


Facts & Figures

Volkswagen Beetle Sport 2.0 TDI 140


Price as tested: €28,695


Range price: €20,695 to €30,445


Capacity: 1,968cc



Power: 140bhp



Torque: 320Nm



Top speed: 198kmh



0-100kmh: 9.4sec



Economy: 4.9l-100km (57.6mpg)



CO2 emissions: 129g/km


VRT Band: B1. €270 road tax



Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 92% adult, 90% child, 53% pedestrian, 86% safety assist 

News: VW takes Irish No.1 spot for first time ever

We used to build Beetles (on Dublin's Naas Road), now we’re buying its successors in droves.

Volkswagen was the best-selling car brand in Ireland in 2012, the first time that the brand has achieved this in its history in Ireland. Volkswagen finished in first place ahead of Toyota in second place and Ford in third place. According to figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (SIMI) Volkswagen registered 10,073 new cars in 2012 (12.67% market share) ahead of Toyota’s 9,998 (12.58% market share) and Ford with 8,592 (10.81% market share).

“We are delighted to be now, officially, the number one car brand in Ireland,” said Volkswagen Passenger Cars Deputy Brand Director John Donegan. “This is an outstanding result in what were tough market conditions in 2012. Given that this result was achieved even before the new Golf had arrived shows that Irish customers are navigating to the Volkswagen range for its quality, strong residual values and our strong retail offers.”

This was a sentiment echoed by Volkswagen Group Ireland Managing Director Simon Elliott. “We are very proud to be the best-selling car brand for 2012 and it is an indication of just how shrewd the Irish buyer is when it comes to choosing cars that they are increasingly putting their trust in Volkswagen.”

Volkswagen has also just released its all-new Golf on to Irish forecourts, starting at €19,995 and there is an array of offers available to Volkswagen customers for 2013.

Customers who order their new Volkswagen before the end of January 2013 will benefit from a whole host of extras on their new car. There will be three years of Free Servicing*, so you don’t need to worry about the cost of keeping your Volkswagen in tip-top condition. There is the security of three years of Roadside Assistance to keep you moving in the event of a mishap and with 3,000km of Free Fuel*, with the superb fuel economy on offer in the Volkswagen range, it could be months before you put your hand in your pocket for that either. With the added assurance of a three year warranty, Volkswagen ownership in 2013 is going to be as pain-free as one could wish for.

Acquiring your new Volkswagen is easier thanks to hugely competitive finance rates from Volkswagen Bank, which has lent in excess of €120m to Irish customers and is very much Open for Business. With a 3.9% APR available on Hire Purchase as well as attractive PCP (Personal Contact Plan) rates available from just €119 per month, it has never been easier to get into a new Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Open Week starts January 5th in all Volkswagen Retailers. Customers are invited to see the entire Volkswagen range including the new Golf.

News: Classic VW camper dies next year

It is a sad, sad day when you get news like this. *sniff* After 63 years of production, the original Volkswagen Type 2 van and camper will finally cease production. *sob*

Of course, European production of the dear old bay-window Type 2 ended decades ago when the square-rigged Type 3 was introduced, but production has continued, unabated, in Brazil ever since, and you can still get proper, brand-new, right-hand-drive versions through specialist importers like Danbury Caravans in the UK.

But now, thanks to a change in Brazilian law which states that all vehicles sold there must be equipped with anti-lock brakes and driver and passenger airbags from 2014, the original VW bus will end production on December 31st, 2013.

Awwwwww...

Although the car meets all emissions regulations for Brazil, modifying it to take airbags and ABS would just push the price up way too high, and with Brazil being the biggest market for the car, that's just a no-no.

According to Autocar magazine, VW reckons that you could buy two Type 2s for the price of just one 'normal' car. 

Farewell old friend...

News: VW introduces Taigun, but loses profit

Volkswagen adds Taigun but drops profit. Has the financapocalypse finally gotten its dirty fingers into VW?


This is the new Taigun, a concept compact crossover that Volkswagen has just shown at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil. Why there? Simply because Brazil's burgeoning economy is one of the boom markets for new cars at the moment, and VW is keen to capitalise on its already strong market position there.

We've been told in recent weeks that VW is working on a new range of crossovers and SUVs, but this is a bit smaller than we expected. Instead of being a Polo-based rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, it's actually built on the same platform as the VW Up, and is smaller again than the Juke.

It is a big bigger than the Up mind, with a 50mm longer wheelbase and a much bigger boot.

It gets a turbocharged version of the Up's 1.0-litre 75bhp petrol engine, boosting power to 100bhp. And will it make production? Almost certainly, in spite of VW saying that it's just a concept for now, and you can expect Skoda, Seat and Audi versions too.

It't not all good news for VW though. The German car giant is due to announce third quarter earnings of around €2.3-billion this week, which sounds great, but is actually a whopping 21% down on the same period last year.

Of course, some of that can be attributed to the fact that the ever-popular Golf is on a run-out now while we await the start of sales for the new MkVII version, but there's no doubt that the European car sales crisis has finally reached the door of VW Towers.

News: Volkswagen plans new SUVs, launches hotter Scirocco

Volkswagen has confirmed that it will begin developing a huge range of SUV style vehicles, dramatically expanding its range beyond the current Tiguan and Touareg,


It's not exactly a surprising move, considering that compact SUVs are pretty much the only market segment still capable of pulling in a few buyers at the moment, and VW's range is looking somewhat light on SUVs compared to some rivals, especially Nissan's

So, two new SUVs are already in the works, both designed to compliment the next-generation Tiguan (which should look very similar to VW's CrossCoupe concept car, above). The first will be a compact, Polo-based car designed to take on the Nissan Juke, Mini Countryman and in-house rival Skoda Yeti. The current CrossPolo kind of fills that niche at the moment, but VW product planners are convinced that what buyers want is a car that's more obviously 4x4 based and more versatile too.

Then there will be a Passat-based seve-seat SUV, to take on the likes of the Hyundai Santa Fe and next-generation Land Rover Freelander. That won't arrive till 2015 at the earliest though, and kind of revives an abandoned plan that would have seen the last-gen Passat spin off a luxurious seven-seat Mercedes R-Class rival.

In the meantime, VW is tilting at enthusiasts with the new Scirocco GTS. Don't get your hopes up; there's no new or more powerful engine. GTS is a trim level that includes those bonnet stripes,  red mirrors and brake calipers, spoiler, diffuser and 18" wheels. Inside, there's loads of red stitching, piano black panels and a retro-eighties golf-ball gearknob.

News: Hot Porsche Cayenne arrives but Lambo & Bentley may delay SUVs

Porsche has just launched a range-topping Cayenne Turbo S but its sister brands in the VW Group, Lamborghini and Bentley, may be delaying their own SUV projects because of darkening economic clouds.

The Cayenne Turbo S gets titanium-aluminium turbine wheels in the turbos to spool power up to a massive 542bhp, backed up by a more than ample 750Nm of torque. That means this 2-tonne 4x4 can sprint from 0-100kmh in a BMW M3-threatening time of just 4.5-seconds and run on to a top speed of 283kmh. Quite why you'd need a 4x4 with those kinds of figures, we can't quite imagine, but it's probably good fun.

Astonishingly though, Porsche claims that the extra power and performance over the standard Turbo model have not come at the expense of, well, expense. The Turbo S records the same 11.5-litres per 100km (about 26mpg) on the European combine cycle.

But while it's raa-raa all round for Porsche's hot 4x4, its VW Group sister companies, Lamborghini and Bentley, may be rolling back on their plans to launch (admittedly somewhat controversial) SUVs.

We've seen both the Lamborghini Urus and Bentley EXP 9F at various motor shows over the past year, and both their paths to production seemed pretty clear. After all, what the world's monied car buyers seem to want more than anything else are cars with premium badges, four wheel drive and chunky tyres. Porsche itself sells way, waaaaay more Cayennes than it does 911s and Boxsters, so both cars seemed to make perfect financial sense for Bentley and Lambo.

Today though, the word is that both projects are on hold. According to Automotive News, VW is starting to get a bit more careful about how it spends its money. The European car sales crisis that is so damaging the likes of PSA Peuegot Citroen and Fiat hasn't really started to affect the VW Group yet, but it seems that the bean-counters in Wolfsburg are starting to prepare for the worst, even if it never comes.

News: Volkswagen Ireland gives us Golf prices

Volkswagen Ireland has revealed the pricing for the all-new Golf, which goes on sale in Ireland in December, and they start from just €19,995.


Not only is the new car lighter, safer, more advanced, more spacious, more efficient and better equipped than previous generations of Europe’s best-seller, of which over 29 million have been sold, but with a starting price of just €19,995 for the 3-door 1.2-litre 85bhp Trendline model it is still below €20,000. The diesel line up starts at just €22,695 for the 105bhp 1.6-litre TDI model. This new 1.6-litre TDI 105bhp engine will have CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

From launch, the Golf will be available in Ireland in three trim levels: Trendline, Comfortline and Highline (the GTD, GTI and BlueMotion models will join the line-up in 2013). Three petrol engines and two diesel engines will be available to order.

The petrol engine range starts with a four-cylinder 1.2-litre TSI unit producing 85 bhp, rising via a 1.2-litre TSI 105 bhp up to the all-new 1.4-litre TSI 140 bhp engine with Active Cylinder Technology. This helps to create an extremely efficient engine capable of 4.7 l/100km (combined cycle) and 109 g/km thanks to the ability to deactivate the central two cylinders under light loads. This makes it 23% more efficient than the equivalent engine in the previous version of the Golf.

The two diesel engines at launch are a 1.6-litre TDI 105 bhp and a new 2.0-litre TDI 150 bhp unit. Both feature the latest common rail diesel technology for maximum efficiency. All new Golf models – both diesel and petrol – come with a Stop/Start system as standard, along with battery regeneration. A 90bhp diesel will follow in Quarter 2 of 2013.

Gearboxes are a mixture of five- and six-speed manuals, and six- and seven-speed DSG units, depending on the engines’ power and torque outputs.

Standard specification levels build on those of the outgoing Golf, bringing new items of luxury and technology to the class.

All Golf models come with seven airbags, including a driver’s knee airbag, five three-point seatbelts, ABS with ESP, XDS electronic differential lock and Isofix preparation for two rear child seats.

On Trendline models, the standard Composition Media system includes a 5-inch colour touchscreen, FM/AM radio as well as eight speakers (front and rear) and a CD drive (MP3 compatible). The CD drive is located in the glovebox along with the SD card slot.

Also standard is ‘Climatic’ semi-automatic air conditioning and an electronic parking brake, among a host of other features.

Moving up from Trendline to Comfortline trim brings an outstanding range of features, including Cruise Control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Radio Composition Media which has a 5.8 inch touch screen display which responds to wiping and zooming gestures and there is access to ‘Phone’ and ‘Voice’ commands. There are USB and aux-in interfaces integrated into a separate compartment in the centre console in front of the gearshifter. On the outside, 15” Lyon alloy wheels come as standard on Comfortline models.

From the outside, the Highline model can be recognised by its 16-inch ‘Dover’ alloy wheels, front fog lights, deep red tail-light clusters, black radiator grille with chrome mouldings and electrically folding exterior mirrors. Inside, the Highline gets a 3-spoke leather multifunction steering wheel, sports front seats and Piano Black Mesh inserts for the centre console.

Optional equipment includes high beam assist, lane assist, park assist (which is able to parallel-park the Golf in spaces only 80 cm longer than the car itself in addition to providing automatic parking), ACC adaptive cruise control and a rear-view camera. Drivers can also select from a choice of alternative alloy wheels up to 18 inches in diameter, bi-xenon headlights, ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery (optionally with 12-way electrically adjustable front seats), 2-Zone climate control, the Discover Pro navigation system with 8-inch colour touchscreen, keyless entry and a panoramic sunroof, among other options.

Volkswagen retailers will start taking orders for the new Golf from mid-to-late-October, with first deliveries due in mid-December. As ever, attractive finance rates will be available from Volkswagen Bank, with Hire Purchase rates of just 4.9% available on new Golf and PCP (Personal Contract Plan) rates from just €239 per month including delivery charges.

For full details, see the price list. For more information on the Volkswagen range visit www.volkswagen.ie.

Full price list:

Model                 Engine                   Trim                   Co2  Price
GOLF TL BMT 1.2TSI 3DR 85HP Trendline Petrol 114 €19,995
GOLF TL BMT 1.2TSI 5DR 85HP Trendline Petrol 114 €20,945
GOLF TL BMT 1.2TSI 3DR 105HP Trendline Petrol 116 €20,745
GOLF TL BMT 1.2TSI 5DR 105HP Trendline Petrol 116 €21,695
GOLF TL BMT 1.2TSI DSG 5DR 105HP Trendline Petrol 116 €23,445
GOLF TL BMT 1.6TDI 3DR 105HP Trendline Diesel 99 €22,695
GOLF TL BMT 1.6TDI 5DR 105HP Trendline Diesel 99 €23,645
GOLF TL BMT 1.6TDI DSG 5DR 105HP Trendline Diesel 103 €25,395
GOLF CL BMT 1.2TSI 3DR 105HP Comfortline Petrol 116 €22,395
GOLF CL BMT 1.2TSI 5DR 105HP Comfortline Petrol 116 €23,345
GOLF CL BMT 1.2TSI 5DR 105HP Comfortline Petrol 116 €25,095
GOLF CL BMT 1.6TDI 3DR 105HP Comfortline Diesel 99 €24,345
GOLF CL BMT 1.6TDI 5DR 105HP Comfortline Diesel 99 €25,295
GOLF CL BMT 1.6TDI 5DR 105HP Comfortline Diesel 103 €27,045
GOLF HL BMT 1.2TSI 3DR 105HP Highline Petrol 116 €24,045
GOLF HL BMT 1.2TSI 5DR 105HP Highline Petrol 116 €24,995
GOLF HL BMT 1.2TSI DSG 5DR 105HP Highline Petrol 116 €26,745
GOLF HL ACT 1.4TSI 3DR 140HP Highline Diesel 114 €25,995
GOLF HL ACT 1.4TSI 5DR 140HP Highline Diesel 114 €26,945
GOLF HL ACT 1.4TSI DSG 5DR 140HP Highline Diesel 113 €28,695
GOLF HL BMT 1.6TDI 3DR 105HP Highline Diesel 99 €25,995
GOLF HL BMT 1.6TDI 5DR 105HP Highline Diesel 99 €26,945
GOLF HL BMT 1.6TDI DSG 5DR 105HP Highline Diesel 103 €28,695
GOLF HL BMT 2.0TDI 5DR 150HP Highline Diesel 109 €29,695
GOLF HL BMT 2.0TDI DSG 5DR 150HP Highline Diesel 119 €31,645

News: VW Beetle goes topless in California

Volkswagen has released the first details of its all-new Beetle cabriolet, appropriately enough in sunny California.

 It's thankfully sticking with the traditional fabric roof, rather than a complicated folding hard top, but in true Beetle tradition the windscreen is still bolt upright and the roof, when folded, sits pram-like on top of the rear deck.

Impressively though, it can be opened up in as little as 10secs and and works at speeds of up to 48kmh. Handy for non-Californian downpours that.

Entry levels cars will get the 105bhp 1.2 TSI turbo petrol, while 105bhp 1.6 TDI diesel, 140bhp 2.0 TDI diesel, 160bhp 1.4 TSI turbo petrol and a range-topping 200bhp 2.0 TSI (effectively a Golf GTI engine) will be available too.

Now, if only we could get a little of the weather from these photos...

Road Test: Volkswagen Up 1.0 75bhp High Up 3dr

Price as tested: €13,265

+ Styling, front seat comfort and space, equipment, economy
– Ride a touch firm, awkward rear seat entry, tiny boot
= Up, up and hooray


Sometimes the old schedule just works out nicely, and this week, instead of my usual book-a-convertible-for-the-dead-of-November I actually managed to book both the new Fiat Panda and the new Volkswagen Up to test drive within a few days of each other. So, while this is not strictly a twin-test, it will be almost impossible to review the Up without reference to the Panda, so close are they as rivals.

The first and most significant thing to note about the Up is its almost staggeringly low price. Here is a car with a pukka Volkswagen badge (a large and prominent one too) on its nose that you can get on your driveway for under €11k. €10,995 is the starting price, for the most basic Take Up model, which will be pretty basic, but even going for the specced-up High Up as tested here, you’re still going to be spending significantly less than €14k.

And there is a lot of spec. As standard, a High Up comes with 15” alloys, air conditioning, heated seats, ESP, City Emergency (which, Volvo-like, slams on the anchors if it detects an incoming collision at low speeds), leather steering wheel and gearshifter, front fogs and an ‘easy entry’ function for flipping the driver’s seat forward.

Our test car, in addition to all that, had the optional Maps & More sat-nav and infotainment system, controlled by a neat little removable touch screen, which only added a very reasonable €370 to the price tag.

So, from within, the Up really doesn’t feel like a diminutive city car at all, at least not in this specification. The broad fascia, with its big sweep of body colour, the surprisingly low-set , comfy seats and the panoramic view out of the windscreen all combine to make it feel bigger and more grown up than you might have expected.

From the outside, it looks tiny though; almost as broad as it is long and styled in a very easy-on-the-eye Mies-Van-Der-Rohe style; all rigorous subjugation of form to function’s control.
However, there are some issues, statically speaking. Space in the back seats is reasonable. If you’ve got small kids, they’ll fit fine but the front seat occupants may have to budge up a bit to allow space for bulky child car seats. Getting in the back is a bit of a faff, though. As mentioned, our car came with the (optional) Easy Entry system that’s supposed to return the seat back to its original position once you’ve flipped it forward to let someone in or out of the back. But it doesn’t work, or at least, not very well and the position and motion of the lever that flips the seat means it’s impossible to do one-handed. OK, such problems will be irrelevant once the five-door Up arrives in the summer, but it’s a pain for now. While we’re at it, the boot is just too small. Officially, it’s 251-litres, which is quite decent but it’s very narrow and certainly won’t take a kid’s buggy. The boot in the Panda is much better shaped and more useful.

On the road, though, the Up begins to claw back serious ground. With a wheel at each corner, you would expect the handling to be go-kart-like, in the vein of the original Mini. The fact that this is not the case (at least not yet) is a mild disappointment, but the Up’s refinement, comfort and generally very useful performance more than compensate.

The dinky little 999cc three-cylinder engine thrums with typical off-beat three-pot gurgles when you rev it, but once up to a cruising speed it’s actually very quiet. Around town, the gearing is ideally set so that when pootling along at 50kmh, you’re actually up into fifth gear, saving a dramatic amount of fuel. Although the lack of stop-start is a bit of a surprise, the Up doesn’t actually seem to need it. We managed a very impressive 5.4-litres per 100km average (that’s better than 50mpg, and looks good against VW’s official claimed figure of 4.7l/100km, 60mpg) and squeezed more than 500km out of it before the refueling light came on. That easily beats our 7.4l/100km average in the 1.2 Panda.

With such town-friendly gearing, you’d expect the Up to be a desperate chore on the motorway, but it’s not. That broad track makes it feel very stable and surefooted, it doesn’t get bounced around by side-draughts much and there’s just enough torque in the engine to keep it on the boil when mixing with other fast moving traffic. The low-set seats (unfashionable for a space-efficient city car) make a long journey much more comfy than in high-set rivals like the Panda, too.

Dynamically, it’s well sorted but a bit vanilla. It goes, stops and steers just as it should, with lovely steering weight and feel, but not much enthusiasm for being hustled. The more hyperactive Panda is more fun to drive, but oddly, it also rides better than the Up. Maybe it’s the short dimensions but the Up felt a bit too firmly sprung for our tastes, certainly for a car that’s destined to mostly be soaking up cracked and broken city streets and speed ramps.

In the end, the Up is exactly what you think it is; a Volkswagen that;s been shrunk down to city car size. It has similar quality, refinement and comfort to its bigger brothers (although it won’t take much looking around the cabin to spot where VW’s been cutting the cost corners), is remarkably frugal (another Volkswagen trait) and looks utterly brilliant, especially in the bright red of our test car. The fiddly seat mechanism will be nulled by the arrival of the five door, but the boot does remain awkwardly small.

Overall, we just (juuuuust) prefer the new Fiat Panda, thanks to its more practical boot and sharper chassis, but the Up’s combination of VW-badge desirability, remarkable economy and tempting price means it’s hard to see them doing anything other than flying out of showrooms.


See the Up’s City Emergency Braking in Action:
















Facts & Figures

Volkswagen High Up 1.0 75bhp
Price as tested: €13,265
Range price: €10,995 to €13,265
Capacity: 999cc
Power: 75bhp
Torque: 95Nm
Top speed: 171kmh
0-100kmh: 13.2sec
Economy: 4.7-100km (60.1mpg)
CO2 emissions: 108g/km
Tax Band: A. €160 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-stars; 89% adult, 80% child, 46% pedestrian, 86% safety assist

Road Test: Volkswagen CC 2.0 TDI 140 Sport

Price as tested: €37,565

+ Looks, poise, comfort, cabin, refinement
– Quite pricey, new grille not nice
= Facelift doesn’t dim the appeal

We were always pretty big fans of the original Passat CC, what with its swoopy looks and the fact that it was, in character and styling terms, a Mercedes CLS for roughly half the price. Who cared that it was based on the straightforward mechanical package of a VW Passat saloon? What mattered was that it looked, and felt, like a prestige saloon costing twice as much.

It’s always difficult to approach the facelift of a car you like. Inevitably, in amongst the myriad improvements and upgrades, there will be something gone that once you loved. Some little wrinkle that has been ironed out. And so it proves with the CC (the Passat name has been, somewhat oddly, dropped); it’s the styling. Actually, it’s better now at the back, where the droopy, ovoid brake lights (which always looked as if they were off the back of a different car) have been replaced by a much tidier set of squared-off lights, while the boot and rear wings look a bit more fore-square, as if in sympathy.

At the front though, the old Passat CC’s simple, handsome, square-jawed face has been slightly ruined by the fitting of an ungainly chrome grille. Well, perhaps ruined is a bit harsh. It’s like George Clooney wearing a moustache; still gorgeous George but you wish he’d go have a shave. It’s not enough to spoil the looks of what is a very handsome car, but it’s the wrinkle we wish had remained un-ironed.

Still, pop the door handle on the attractively frameless door and the cabin still serves up the same delights we remember. Yes, it’s a touch plain and unadorned compared to the button-fests that some car makers still think looks premium, but that is its secret strength. Just as a well-tailored suit works best with a simple white shirt and plain tie, so the CC’s cabin doesn’t need any fripperies or add-ons to make it look good. The sheer heft of the quality seeping from every pore (do car cabins seep? Do they have pores? Never mind...) is enough on its own to create a premium ambience, but the fact that the ergonomics are rigourously perfect, that the dials are handsome and clear, that the seats (Alcantara and leather on this Sport model) are superbly comfortable; all these things add up to make a near perfect interior.

And it’s practical. Yes, the rear bench is shaped specifically to be a four-seater, but two adults fit entirely comfortably back there, once they learn to duck their heads beneath the sweeping roofline when getting in (thud!). The boot might lie beneath some low-slung styling but it’s a perfectly respectable 532-litres, so even a family with growing kids shouldn’t feel short-changed.

But can a Passat chassis cash the stylistic cheques the bodywork is writing? Well, kinda yes and kinda no. There’s nothing wrong with it, for a start. The ride quality, which feels a touch too firm around town, supples out beautifully on the open road and, like pretty much all Volkswagens (yes, even the Up) it’s a superb motorway crusier. Get it on the twisties, and the responses are fine, but you can tell that it’s been set up for comfort and cruising, not for blasting the back roads. The well-weighted steering is just a touch slow to spin across its locks, and while the suspension keeps up fine most of the time, when you start to ask it some serious questions there is a slight corkscrew effect, as if the front and rear roll centres are off slightly.

Nothing wrong with the engine though. It’s VW’s familiar 140bhp 2.0 TDI diesel and it’s a belter, with muscular performance (320Nm of torque will do that), impressive refinement and, with a believable fuel consumption claim of 4.7-litres per 100km (we managed mid-fives) and Co2 emissions of 125g/km, impressive frugality too. Our only quibble? While the standard six-speed manual gearbox shifts accurately and cleanly, the optional seven-speed DSG semi-automatic would suit the character of the car much better. Worth the extra €2,400 for the upgrade.

One final quibble, while we’re at it. The start system uses the long, flat key which you must push into the hole in the dash and then keep pushing while the engine starts. It’s a slightly odd system that doesn’t do the car any favours because it emits a cheap-sounding (and feeling) clunk as you shove the key in, and does it again as the key comes out. A simple start-stop button would work better and feel classier.

The CC’s final stumbling block is its price. On the face of it, €37k for this Sport model, or €34k for the basic model, doesn’t feel too steep for such a classy, capable machine. But that does push it into direct competition with the mighty BMW 3 Series and, indeed, its own VW Group stablemate, the Audi A4. And while VW has chosen to drop the Passat name, there’s no getting away from the fact that a mechanically identical Passat saloon is at least a couple of grand cheaper.

Mind you, a stylistically similar Mercedes CLS is still twice the price...


Facts & Figures

Volkswagen CC Sport 2.0 TDI 140
Price as tested: €37,565
Range price: €34,910 to €42,385
Capacity: 1,968cc
Power: 140bhp
Torque: 320Nm
Top speed: 214kmh
0-100kmh: 9.8secs
Economy: 4.7l/100km (60.1mpg)
CO2 emissions: 125g/km
Tax Band: B. €225 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested